


Heart's Desires

by Ce_ba



Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: /malec, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, M/M, Multi, although it's a little sad, and a bit weird, city of heavenly fire - Freeform, cofh, it's not exactly angsty, mention of Magnus, rewrite of a part of the book
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-24
Updated: 2015-08-24
Packaged: 2018-04-17 02:03:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4648107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ce_ba/pseuds/Ce_ba
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rewrite of Alec's demon dream in CoHF.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heart's Desires

**Author's Note:**

> I recently re-read CoHF and was disappointed about Alec's dream, because seriously? What was that? And I know I'm not the only one with that opinion. So, this is my take on it. Enjoy.  
> (Disclaimer: Of course I do not own any characters, bla bla bla, I think you know that.)

Alec stood in a clearing, the grass at his feet green and littered with red and golden leaves. A light breeze rustled through the crowns of the surrounding trees. The blue sky was limned with silky white clouds. As they shifted a little the sun broke through, cutting the cold with heated rays. With his head thrown back and eyes closed Alec enjoyed the warmth on his skin.

“-and I just now realize you haven't been paying any attention to anything I just said,” a voice behind him said.

Blinking Alec turned around. He hadn't realized the boy was even there, but here he stood in all his golden glory. Tufts of wavy hair stuck up around his head, turning into a soft halo where the sunlight hit it. The tips of black marks spiraled over the exposed skin of the boy's collarbone, marking him a shadowhunter, but not one Alec could recall meeting. The boy looked a lot like Jace, he thought, although there was something about his posture that told of the lack of a death wish.

 _Of course you know him,_ a voice in his head said, _how could you not? Chris has been your boyfriend for years. You love him._

Indistinguishable eyes looked at him and he felt a flutter of warmth in his stomach. “Sorry, I- What did you say?”

The boy shook his head and laughed. It was the easy laugh of an easy boy, the kind of laugh that was pleasant but didn't stood out in a crowd even when you paid very close attention. Alec didn't exactly feel drawn to it and he wondered how he had ever ended up with Chris. It was weird. How could he not remember something so important?

“I said you don't need to squint at the trees like he's going to come running with a horde of Gula's at his heels any second. Despite what you believe of him your brother actually manages to _not_ get into trouble. Sometimes. Also-” he drew Alec closer by his scarf “-I'm cold and you won't be needing that.” With a decided pull the scarf came undone and Chris wrapped it around his own neck.

“It's yours anyways,” Alec said. It had to be because it was a bright blue color that matched Alec's eyes. He never would have gotten anything like that for himself.

“Macy's winter sale a few years back. But I never get to wear it anymore because you keep stealing it.” Chris' grin was open and honest. For some reason Alec couldn't reciprocate.

Averting his eyes he rubbed the fabric between his thumb and forefinger. “I like it.”

Chris' hand sneaked around his neck, drawing him closer.

Before he could kiss Alec someone called out from the other side of the clearing. “My eyes! My eyes! Why do you love birds have to be everywhere?! Why can't adults ever keep their hands off each other?!”

Alec spun out of Chris arms like he had been caught committing a crime.

The voice belonged to a teenage boy, not older than fifteen. He looked a lot like Alec had at that age, wiry with the hint of muscles showing underneath clothes that were still slightly too big. His black hair had been blown around mercilessly by the wind and Alec longed to smooth it down. The boy regarded them with Isabelle's dark brown eyes. It was then that Alec realized why his voice sounded so familiar.

_Max._

Just- “Where are your glasses?”

Max cocked his head questioningly, the frown on his face one of concern. “Vision runes. You remember? Those are a thing? Are you feeling alright? You'll be sparing with me, right?”

Vision runes. Of course. How had he forgotten that? Alec shook his head. It felt like someone was trying to condense his head. “Yeah, yeah, I just- I- What?”

Max gestured articulately. “You, me, sparring? That's why we're here, isn't it?”

Alec barely suppressed the urge to slap himself in the face. Of course he had been waiting here for Max to practice. They did it all the time, right? “Sure, yeah. I just- I'm just a little surprised that you'd want to spare with me instead of Jace. That's all.”

Max laugh was genuine. “Are you kidding? You're a way better teacher than Jace and unlike him you're not constantly busy being the center of everyone's attention. Seriously, I think Dad is slowly getting annoyed with him. Just this morning I overheard him talking to Mom about it. 'Maryse, I'm telling you, all this fame will grow over the boy's head. The Clave is making too big of a deal out of it. It's not like he single-handedly stopped the Dark War. The rest of our children had a part to play too. We should be proud of all of them.'”

When quoting their father Max lowered his voice to imitate Robert Lightwoods low baritone. There was no scenario in which Alec could imagine his father saying something like that, yet the teasing made him smile. He turned to see if his boyfriend found it as amusing but there was no one beside him now.

“Where did he go?,” he asked Max.

His brother had taken a step back and was discarding his jacket. Underneath he wore a thin muscle shirt. Max's arms and shoulders were bare of runes. He lazily lifted an eyebrow. “Who?”

Throwing one reassuring glance over his shoulder Alec frowned. “Magnus.”

Max's voice was suddenly a lot higher, the voice of a child, not a young adult. “Who is Magnus?”

“He is-” Alec faltered. Who was Magnus? His boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend. A guy belonging to those Alec loved most in the world. Like Max. Shouldn't Max know who Magnus was? He had been with Magnus ever since coming out during the Mortal War. The Mortal War during which Max- “You died.”

His brother looked at him, a sad smile playing on his lips. “Alec,” he said, his voice broken and coming from far away.

Alec rushed forward, throwing his arms around his little brother. It didn't help. The figure that was Max crumbled to dust in his embrace. The sandcastle had been made during the low tide of the dream and now the flood was rolling in. He shut his eyes, not wanting to witness the destructiveness of his own mind.

When Alec opened his eyes again they were burning. In front of him the fall clearing had dissolved. Instead he was kneeling in a barren gray desert of rock and dirt. It stretched as far as he could see, an endless sea of lifeless despair. The sky was black and filled with smoke.

No, not the sky, Alec saw with a start. There was something floating in it, something dark with venomous yellow eyes.

Without thinking he let an arrow fly, piercing the things hideous vaporous body. He drew another as he got up. The thing didn't make a noise as it feel down a few feet from him.

Alec broke into a run across the plain, whipping out a dagger as he somersaulted onto the demon's back. He brought the blade down once. Then again between it's eyes. Into it's back. It's side. The dagger sliced through the gaseous body as if it were solid, again and again, all of Alec's pain flowing into his arm until he was crouching on the black rubble that had once been the smoking demon, panting rather hard.

“Alec!,” a voice called out. Looking back he could see Isabelle running towards him. When she reached him she put her hand to his shoulder. To his surprise it was shaking a little.

“It was a demon, Iz,” he said, not sure who he was trying to console. “It gave us those dreams.”

Isabelle's voice was a whisper even as she drew her arms around his shoulders. “I saw Max.”

Alec nodded, relaxing into her body behind him. “Me too,” he said, glad his voice didn't betray how deeply unsettled he was. Max words played through his head like a broken recording. _Who is Magnus?_

Taking another deep breath he untangled himself from his sister. He needed to get going. Find Sebastian. Find Magnus. Stop the war.

Grabbing her hand he pulled Isabelle to her feet with him. “Come on, let's go find the others.”

 


End file.
